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Opposition calls on PM to sack forestry Minister and SSPM

THE Parliamentary Opposition Group is calling on the Prime Minister to sack his Forestry Minister Bodo Dettke and Special Secretary to Prime Minister Rence Sore.

In a statement today, the Parliamentary Opposition says the Prime Minister should remove his Forestry Minister as serious allegations levelled against him relating to his involvement, influence and interest in logging activities in the country amounts to abuse of power and conflict of interest.

“The Prime Minister must sack his Forest Minister as serious allegations levelled against him is a direct conflict of interest; a concern raised by the Opposition since the appointment of Dettke as Forestry Minister,” the statement adds.

The statement adds the Parliamentary Opposition has received reliable information that the Forest Minister is involved in some very serious allegations of demanding money from local operators and logging companies as his levy before issuing special permits or reinstating licenses to those operators.

“This is an abuse of power in making money for one’s self-interest and the Prime Minister must take action against his Forest Minister,” it said.

The Parliamentary Opposition also called on the Prime Minister to sack his Special Secretary Rence Sore.

It said Mr Sore’s directorship in the Solomon Islands Development Corporation Limited (SIDCL); the company that will joint venture with Skyline Investment Group Company to build the 5000 homes for the public servants is also a conflict of interest.

The statement said the fact that the SSPM is a director in SIDCL is already suspicious and it even raises more controversy when he has put the whole question of integrity of the OPMC into question by using the OPMC address for business address and his cohorts contact details.

“The SSPMs involvement stinks and it is not fitting for a senior advisor of the Prime Minister to be implicated in private business deals like this. The Prime Minister must sack him immediately as he is tarnishing the integrity of the OPMC and that of SSPM,” the statement said.

The statement also adds that Mr Sore should also be sacked as his responses on behalf of OPMC and the Prime Minister is nothing but mockery to that office especially on the $3.7 million payout and Ministers’ hotel bills.

The Parliamentary Opposition said the Prime Minister’s failure to take action against his Forestry Minister and SSPM will only be perceived as the Prime Minister himself is supporting the scandalous dealings that are happening before his eyes.